Where To Find Free Or Low Cost Maine Coon Kittens - Maine Coon Expert (2024)

Where To Find Free Or Low Cost Maine Coon Kittens

Looking to adopt or purchase a Maine Coon?

Breeding a purebreed kitten is not without cost so a Maine Coon kitten can be expensive.

However, with a little forethought it could still be possible to get a Maine Coon at a lower cost, or even free if you’re lucky.

Maine Coons are beautiful and majestic creatures and are a tad bit on the expensive side if you are in the market to purchase one in purebred form.

Thankfully, you can take advantage of some of these resources to get a Maine Coon without breaking the bank.

Approach each option by being polite and respectful and give everyone a sense that the Maine Coon you want to take care of will be well looked after and cared for.

More than one cat breeder or cat owner has refused to let certain people purchase an animal because they don’t feel it’s going to a good home.

Make sure you put any prospective seller or owner at ease.

Local Shelters

A good place to start would be your local cat shelters or cat rescue services.

It’s where most abandoned and stray cats end up.

Keep in mind, people working at the shelter may not know the nuances of telling a Maine Coon apart from other long-haired cats.

However, if you know what to look for at the shelter you can get lucky and stumble across a purebred Maine Coon.

Some of the cats that end up in shelters are abused, abandoned, sick, or wounded.

Shelters ensure these cats are rehabilitated and are looking to give them a loving home.

You just might find a gorgeous Maine Coon kitten waiting to get adopted among them.

Remember, any money you spend to adopt a cat from a shelter will go towards a good cause.

So, don’t be stingy.

There are some misconceptions about shelter cats.

They can make loving life-long companions if only given the chance. It’s common for people to think shelters only harbor the rejects.

That is far from the truth! A lot of cats end up in a shelter simply because their owners can no longer care for them.

It could be things like allergies, divorces, and newborns.

You have the unique opportunity to give these cats a place they can call home.

Phone or visit around those local to you and tell them you are after rescuing a Maine Coon.

Try to make contact with someone there and if they don’t have one in at the moment, that could change, so make your preferences known and ring back every now and again.

Make sure they have your contact details so if a Maine Coon comes in they know just who to call.

Your Local Veterinaries

Visit the staff at a local veterinary and talk to the counter administrators.

They get to talk to people all day bringing in pets.

Surely they will get to know if someone local has just had a Maine Coon litter.

Ask them to put forward your contact details if that happens.

Again, ring regularly, but don’t be pushy. Be respectful and don’t give anyone a sense that you might be a bad owner, that’s counter productive.

Rescue Groups & Organizations

There are organizations that represent specific cat breeds. You can get in touch with an organization that represents Maine Coons to adopt one.

They have contacts with breeders.

Breeders give up their kittens for adoptions through these organizations. You can ask around to see if any organizations nearby have Maine Coons up for adoption.

If there are no organizations that represent Maine Coons in your state or country, you can expand your search to neighboring states.

Rescue Groups are somewhat similar to shelters.

However, they are organizations dedicated to the cause.

They rescue abandoned, abused, unwanted, and strays and find them a caring home. Unlike local shelters, there are many groups that specialize in Maine Coons.

You’ll most likely get to adopt one very cheaply. Sometimes, even for free. But, “free” doesn’t mean there won’t be any costs.

There may be some fees when adopting from shelters or groups, but they’ll be much cheaper than buying pure breed Maine Coons from catteries or pet stores.

There are a few things you need to consider when adopting a kitten or a cat from a shelter or rescue group. You need to weigh how it will best fit your household.

You may need to make multiple visits to the shelter to ensure you can care for the cat and can integrate it into your lifestyle.

Maine Coons have a very friendly and gentle nature. It may take a couple of visits before you start noticing its own unique personality shine through.

There is nothing worse than giving a cat a home only to realize you can’t cater to its needs.

Usually, there are so many rescues that they are practically just giving them away as long as you can assure them it’ll get a good permanent home.

Adopting Strays

You can even pick up a stray and rescue it on your own.

If you do, make sure you take it to the vet to get it checked up.

It’s important that you try your best to ensure no one is looking for the cat. There could be someone worried sick about their missing Maine Coon.

However, if it truly is a stray it’s yours to keep as long as you give it lots of care and love.

Adopting strays from the streets is a good way to get a Maine Coon for free.

Not only do you get one for free, but you will be giving an unwanted stray a home and giving it medical treatment.

If you spot a lone stray kitten on the streets, please do your bit to look for its mom nearby. It’s natural for them to experience separation anxiety.

This is not good for its emotional health. If you can’t take care of its mother for whatever reason, then you can take custody of it.

Adopting strays from the street can one of the cheapest ways to get Maine Coons, but it can easily be an outdoor Maine Coon cat out for a stroll.

Take care not to pick up any cat you see for yourself. Fortunately, owned cats will likely have a collar with contact information.

It may even be chipped. If it’s a long way from home that’s a clear indication that it may very well be lost and is unable to find its way back home.

Breeders & Catteries

This might sound counter intuitive as they tend to be expensive, but you can go straight to the source and luck out.

They breed for shows and sometimes they can end up with more kittens than they need.

They’ll usually turn to organizations that specialize in the specific cat breed, but every so often they just may take it upon themselves to reach out to people on their own.

One of the advantages of going to a reputable breeder or a Cattery is that you’ll have the greatest opportunity to get a purebred Maine Coon.

They are often very serious about keeping their line pure and do not mix breeds.

Remember, not all breeders are in it to profit, sometimes they’ll just want to find a loving home for their kitten and be assured it’ll be given the care it deserves.

You may get lucky and get to adopt one affordably.

However, you may have to agree to spay or neuter the kitten as they’ll usually want to preserve its lineage.

Classifieds

You can scout classifieds in the newspaper, magazines, and even online. Sometimes owners are moving out of the country and would like to give up their cats.

Then there are the Expat groups.

These are people living outside their native country permanently or temporarily. They could be returning home and can’t take their cats back home with them.

Try the expat facebook groups and ask.

Life can be ever so complicated and unpredictable, there could be a lot of reasons why people would want to give up their cats for adoption.

Let’s face it, it’s better than the alternative. Every year many cats end up on streets around the world because of owners abandoning them.

You can take up unwanted kittens from people who already have too much on their plate with their current pets.

This is common in households with Maine Coons that are not spayed or neutered.

Not everyone is ready to make additions to their family and would much rather find a new home for the kitten.

But, keep in mind these would usually be mixed breeds.

It’s easy to be fooled into thinking the Maine Coons are old from photos, they do get pretty big. Some of these can be very young yet so large.

You can ask their owners for details regarding the Maine Coons before adopting. There are a lot of cues you can follow to estimate how old the cats are.

It’s always best to meet the cats in-person before you adopt. If you fall in love with it, it doesn’t matter how old it is as long as it’s healthy.

You may go in a search looking for a kitten and end up content with a 3-year old Maine Coon.

However, with changing times people are spending more and more time online. That’ll be another avenue to take for your search.

Cat Cafes

You’ll be surprised how many of these are popping up every so often.

Their popularity springs from Japan, but westerners have taken to the concept and it is flourishing big time.

They incorporate a rescue component to it which makes it a good place to adopt, but not all cats will be available for adoption.

For some cats, these are their permanent homes. You can be on the lookout for Cat Cafes near you.

They are essentially theme Cafes that let you interact with their free-roaming cats of all ages.

You get to spend time with them in a relaxed manner and can even get to adopt them.

You’ll likely find a pure breed here. Sometimes rescues end up in Cat Cafes.

It can greatly expand your search pool. If nothing else, you get to play and hangout with adorable cats for a while.

If there are no Maine Coon cats, don’t worry, you can always have them contact you in case they get any.

In cat Cafes, like any cafes, you can have coffee and a bite to eat with one little twist. You get to play with cats or watch their feline shenanigans.

They are usually well-equipped with toys and structures for cats to feel at home.

They are designed to give you a relaxed experience and enjoy the company of the cats.

It’s a perfect environment for you have such an experience if you are a cat lover.

It’s an incredible yet simple concept. Shelters have a lot of animals and you’ll usually find them in cages, but it’s a completely different experience at a Cat café.

You see cats of all ages, breeds, and sizes roam around free.

You’ll get the opportunity to probably fall in love with another breed which could make an excellent companion and sibling for your Maine Coon cat.

It can be very good for it to grow up with a company from the beginning.

It’s also likely the two cats may have already bonded in the Café.

Online & Social Media

The Internet is an invaluable source to make connections with other people.

You can get in touch with like-minded people and arrange an adoption and purchase of your new Maine Coon.

You can browse online forums dedicated to Maine Coons, check out online classifieds, look out for ads, and even connect with rescue groups and organizations over the internet.

You can find listings in sites like Craigslist to get or post a listing on your own to get a Maine Coon at an affordable price.

Social Media is a huge part of your online resource. You can find requests for adoption in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even YouTube.

If you use social media regularly you can even request for a Maine Coon so people can get in touch with you.

Just be sure to tag your posts accordingly.

Your friends and family can help in your search by spreading the word or get you in touch with someone who is looking to give up their Maine Coon.

You can even advertise on Facebook and boost your post for greater exposure casting a wider net. Another way to expand your search is through Facebook groups.

There are groups dedicated to the sale of Maine Coons and most of them are very active.

Then there are sites like adoptapet.com which connect pet owners with potential adoptions.

Sites like these give you the option to search by age, breed, color, distance, sex, and even hair type.

You can even filter your search to see if it’s a special needs cat or bonded with other animals.

You can even search nearby rescues and shelters by distance.

Give it a try, your ideal Maine Coon might be just a few clicks or taps away.

Spread The Word

You can spread the word you are looking for a Maine Coon among family and friends, post classifieds in newspapers, and use the internet to your full advantage.

You never know when you can get you in touch with a potential adoption. You have to be on the lookout for every opportunity.

Maine Coon kittens are very hard to come by because of their popularity.

You can give your contact details to local shelters and organizations so they can get in touch with you for possible adoption.

However, be aware rescue groups and shelters have no way of ensuring you get a purebred Maine Coon cat.

While the internet can help you cast a really wide net, don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth.

Sometimes, all it takes is a friend of a friend or an acquaintance to connect you with an ideal adoption.

If your family or friends can vouch for you it’s very likely you can get a Maine Coon kitten for free as long as you give it a home.

Conclusion

Your ultimate resource in getting your hands on a gorgeous Maine Coon is open-mindedness.

You may not get a kitten. You may have to settle for a Maine Coon which is a little older or mixed breed. You may have to spend some time looking.

It’s very hard to find Maine Coons for free. Of course, you can get lucky, but it’s very hard to come by.

The lower the cost you want to pay the longer you may have to search for it.

You’ll most likely have to balance your expectation and adapt to the offers you get.